Therapy dog coming to Los Gatos High School
The Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District Board of Trustees approved a contract on Sept. 26 with Paws-to-Share, an organization that will provide a therapy dog to the Los Gatos High School Wellness Center.
Fully funded through a donation by the Los Gatos Lions Club Wellness Committee, this $17,400 contract is for one dog, six hours a day, each weekday, for the remainder of the 2023/2024 school year.
The Los Gatos Lions Club fundraised for this donation through their “Date Night,” an annual event held each June with proceeds dedicated to supporting mental health in Los Gatos schools. A long-standing tradition since 2010, this ticketed event has sold out every year, with the exception of its first year.
Dave Burt, the Date Night team leader, shared at the board meeting that Los Gatos High School’s wrestling and football teams help with the set up and take down of the event.
The Wellness Center was recently remodeled this past summer, tearing down a wall between two rooms and building five offices for newly hired in-house therapists. Available to students during lunch and breaks, as well as during class with a teacher’s note, the Wellness Center continues to be a popular destination for students, as one in four students at Los Gatos High School have visited the Wellness Center at least once during the school year.
“This type of community partnership is such an important part of the success of our programs and schools,” Superintendent Bill W. Sanderson said. “All schools throughout the country are still supporting the ramifications of the pandemic on mental health. We are so fortunate to have a board and community that prioritize and support mental health for our youth.”
Los Gatos High School’s new therapy dog will be available to students in early October.
Registrar of Voters seeks election workers
The County of Santa Clara Registrar of Voters’ (ROV) office is now accepting applications for election workers for the March 5, 2024, Presidential Primary Election.
The 2,000 election workers are needed to assist at the main office and at more than 100 vote centers throughout the county. Bilingual speakers are strongly encouraged to apply.
“At the Registrar of Voters we work every day to ensure fair, inclusive, accurate and transparent elections,” Registrar of Voters Shannon Bushey said. “Election workers play an integral role in helping us deliver on that promise.”
Election workers will have the opportunity to work at the ROV office, in the warehouse or at a vote center.
Opportunities are also available for volunteers and high school students. Volunteers will receive a fixed stipend, while high school students may opt for either a stipend or community service credits.
For information, contact the Registrar of Voters’ Administrative Services Division at 408.918.9169 or visit sccvote.org/now_hiring.
Los Gatos 4-H’er selected as runner-up for national award
The National 4-H Council announced Sept. 29 that Michaela Auyeung of Los Gatos is a runner-up for the 2024 4-H Youth in Action Award.
Auyeung is recognized nationally for her commitment to providing STEM access and improving mental and physical well-being for girls in her community.
Auyeung, 17, provides free coding classes and instruction to girls through her program, Girls Who Love to Code. Through partnerships with two school systems, Girls Who Love to Code has engaged more than 250 girls while seeking to close the opportunity and education gap for girls in STEM.
She also provided mental health workshops to aid students in addressing anxiety and created two school pantries to provide hygiene items, school supplies and snacks to students in need.
A senior in high school, Auyeung plans to continue to advocate for gender and socioeconomic equality in education through her outreach and beyond.
The 4-H Youth in Action Awards began in 2010 to recognize 4-H’ers who have overcome challenges and used the knowledge they gained in 4-H to create a lasting impact in their community. For information about the 4-H Youth in Action program and the 2024 runners-up, visit 4-H.org/YouthInAction.
History Club selling pumpkins
The History Club of Los Gatos will hold a pumpkin sale on Oct. 28 and 29 from 10am to 3pm at 123 Los Gatos Blvd.
Pumpkins of all sizes, which are hand-decorated with living succulents and other plants, will be available for purchase.
The club is raising money to support its facility, which it rents to the public for social and business events. A portion of the proceeds from facility rentals is donated to charities supporting women and children in Santa Clara County.
For information, visit historyclublosgatos.org.
High school seniors honored by College Board National Recognition Programs
Nine Los Gatos High School seniors have earned academic honors from the College Board National Recognition Programs.
They are:
• Emerson Cruz, National Hispanic Recognition Award
• Agata Fin, National Hispanic Recognition Award
• Natalie Lane, National Hispanic Recognition Award
• Adrienne Lopez, National Hispanic Recognition Award
• Sydney Madrigal, National Hispanic Recognition Award
• Claire Mayder, National Hispanic Recognition Award
• Samantha Wilcox, National Hispanic Recognition Award
Two other students declined to be named.
To be eligible for this National Recognition Program, students had to apply their sophomore or junior year, as well as:
• Earn a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.5 or higher
• A PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10 assessment scores that are within the top 10% of assessment takers in each state for each award or earned a score of 3 or higher on two or more AP Exams in ninth and 10th grade
• Identify as African-American/Black or Hispanic-American/Latino
“I am incredibly proud of these students for their strong academic performance,” Superintendent Bill W. Sanderson said. “Balancing PSAT assessments, as well as AP exams on top of rigorous course loads can be incredibly challenging. I’m thrilled that these students have been acknowledged with this honor to support them in attaining their post-high school goals.”
Awarded students are able to list this achievement on their College Board account, increasing the number of colleges and organizations that may connect directly with them during the recruitment process.
Sizelove recognized at Biola University
Mark Sizelove of Los Gatos was named to Biola University’s Dean’s List for academic excellence.
Sizelove, a Bible, Theology and Ministry major, was one of approximately 1,500 students who were named to the list in spring 2023.
Biola students are placed on the list to honor those with a GPA of 3.6 or higher while enrolled in 12 or more credits and whose cumulative GPA is at least 3.2.
Biola is a Christian university in Southern California.
